This disclosure relates generally to imaging systems, methods and apparatus, and more particularly to volume holographic imaging systems, methods and apparatus that obtain enhanced images from multiple depths within an object.
Microscopic imaging systems are beneficial for biomedical and clinical applications. Volume holographic microscopy (VHM) has been developed as a microscopic instrument for biological samples. Volume imaging systems have many useful applications such as spectral and three spatial dimensional biological imaging (known as four-dimensional (4D) imaging), endoscope imaging systems, spectrometers, and the like.
VHM incorporates multiplexed holographic gratings within a volume hologram to visualize structures at different focal planes in an object. Each focal plane within the object is projected to a different lateral location on the camera. Thus, the entire object volume is imaged slice-wise onto the camera without the need for electrical or mechanical scanning. However, many objects of interest are composed of weak phase features with poor contrast and are barely observable with VHM.